﻿Peculiarities 
  of 
  Solutions 
  of 
  Gases 
  in 
  Liquids. 
  347 
  

  

  cubic 
  centimetre 
  per 
  hour, 
  the 
  absorption-tube 
  being 
  of 
  such 
  

   a 
  diameter 
  that 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  3*75 
  millimetres 
  corresponded 
  to 
  

   a 
  capacity 
  of 
  one 
  cubic 
  centimetre. 
  

  

  0£ 
  course, 
  after 
  the 
  lapse 
  of 
  time, 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  the 
  tube 
  

   would 
  become 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  charged 
  with 
  the 
  gas, 
  and 
  then 
  

   the 
  rate 
  of 
  absorption 
  would 
  diminish. 
  

  

  This 
  observation 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  disposed 
  of 
  the 
  

   question 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  experiment 
  about 
  to 
  be 
  described 
  puts 
  a 
  

   different 
  face 
  forward. 
  

  

  A 
  graduated 
  tube 
  in 
  the 
  mercurial 
  trough 
  was 
  charged 
  with 
  

   a 
  given 
  volume 
  o£ 
  carbonic 
  acid 
  superposed 
  over 
  a 
  known 
  

   volume 
  of 
  water 
  saturated 
  with 
  carbonic 
  acid 
  : 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  

   arrangement 
  was 
  left 
  at 
  rest 
  for 
  two 
  days, 
  and 
  then 
  a 
  careful 
  

   reading 
  was 
  performed. 
  The 
  volume 
  of 
  the 
  C0 
  2 
  being 
  found 
  

   to 
  be 
  52*39 
  c. 
  c. 
  at 
  0° 
  centigrade 
  and 
  760 
  mm. 
  pressure 
  (dry). 
  

  

  The 
  volume 
  of 
  the 
  layer 
  of 
  water 
  saturated 
  with 
  C0 
  2 
  was 
  

   19 
  c. 
  c. 
  

  

  By 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  delicate 
  pipette 
  with 
  suitable 
  delivery 
  

   tube, 
  2 
  c. 
  c. 
  of 
  strong 
  solution 
  of 
  caustic 
  potash 
  (25 
  grammes 
  

   KHO 
  in 
  100 
  c. 
  c. 
  of 
  the 
  solution) 
  was 
  passed 
  up 
  through 
  the 
  

   mercury 
  into 
  the 
  tube, 
  without 
  disturbing 
  the 
  19 
  c. 
  c. 
  of 
  

   water 
  saturated 
  with 
  C0 
  2 
  . 
  

  

  Under 
  these 
  conditions, 
  the 
  natural 
  result 
  was 
  looked 
  for 
  

   that 
  the 
  C0 
  2 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  would 
  have 
  passed 
  into 
  the 
  potash- 
  

   solution, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  water 
  would 
  have 
  taken 
  up 
  the 
  C0 
  2 
  

   which 
  rested 
  upon 
  the 
  water. 
  Nothing 
  of 
  the 
  kind 
  came 
  to 
  

   pass. 
  The 
  volume 
  of 
  the 
  0O 
  2 
  in 
  the 
  tube 
  remained 
  almost 
  

   absolutely 
  constant 
  for 
  48 
  hours 
  ; 
  the 
  first 
  reading 
  (20 
  hours 
  

   after 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  the 
  potash) 
  being 
  52*05 
  c. 
  c: 
  the 
  second 
  

   reading 
  (about 
  44 
  hours 
  after 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  the 
  potash) 
  

   being 
  52*19 
  c. 
  c. 
  : 
  the 
  third 
  reading 
  51*33 
  c. 
  c. 
  about 
  70 
  hours 
  

   after 
  the 
  potash. 
  

  

  Of 
  course 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  understood 
  that 
  after 
  the 
  lapse 
  of 
  70 
  

   hours 
  a 
  little 
  of 
  the 
  caustic 
  potash 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  layer 
  would 
  

   have 
  had 
  time 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  aqueous 
  liquid 
  by 
  

   liquid 
  diffusion, 
  as 
  was 
  shown 
  in 
  Graham's 
  memorable 
  in- 
  

   vestigation 
  of 
  forty 
  years 
  ago. 
  

  

  The 
  experiment 
  was 
  brought 
  to 
  a 
  conclusion 
  by 
  shaking 
  

   up 
  the 
  contents 
  of 
  the 
  tube 
  — 
  whereupon 
  the 
  potash 
  was 
  

   enabled 
  to 
  absorb 
  the 
  C0 
  2 
  , 
  which 
  consequently 
  disappeared 
  

   in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  minutes, 
  leaving 
  behind 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  

   residue 
  of 
  atmospheric 
  air. 
  

  

  The 
  author 
  considers 
  that 
  this 
  experiment 
  with 
  potash 
  

   establishes 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  isolated 
  molecules 
  of 
  C0 
  2 
  do 
  not 
  

   travel 
  amongst 
  the 
  molecules 
  of 
  H 
  2 
  0, 
  but 
  that 
  the 
  single 
  

  

  